Emily Henderson's Blog, page 78

A Few Of The Boots, Oxfords, And Clogs I’ll Wear To Death This Fall…

As someone who likes to be on the more modest side of foot show and tells (few people want to see my bunion and short wide toes – ALL HEREDITARY, MY FRIENDS), I get very excited when it’s not so hot outside and I can don a cute (full coverage) shoe. So today I have a few of my favorites to show you – no tall boots yet, that’s coming later. But good day-to-day staples for most fall occasions.

The Janeen Platform Mule – Madewell

Blouse | Jeans (similar) | Mules

If you’ve followed closely you’ve seen me wear my Rachel Comey mules for almost five years (they are still available and just so good). Well, these are a wildly more affordable version that I love. AND good news, they are a lot easier to walk in (the Comey’s are still comfortable, but they are at least 2″ taller so less easy to walk in). These are way more “every day” and I could easily wear them all day. Also not shown here are my Nisolos that I had to reorder because my dog ate one of them – but they are EXCELLENT. They are light nude and therefore very flattering and elongating (and so comfortable – I opt for them every time I want the height of a heel but know I’m going to walk a lot).

Judgement Bootie – Bed Stu

Boots

Admittedly, I am NOT selling those in this shot/outfit. I wanted to just wear the same jeans and top. But I was so excited to order these boots. Now sadly I ordered my typical size (7) and they were definitely too small so I had to return them. Then I realized that I truly don’t need another pair of splurgey boots so I didn’t reorder. But point is – the style of this pair is so cute.

They remind me of Brian’s Redwing boots that he wears every chance he can. I love this mid-heel, how tight the boots get at the ankle, and of course, how you don’t really have to lace them and can use the zipper. Such a good patina on the leather, too. Anyway, I hope I don’t regret returning them but def size up. These would also be very cute with socks, longer shorts, and a fleece – more of the sporty/hipster/hiker vibe.

The Rain Boots – Everlane

Rain Boot s

I have no idea what I’m doing with my legs in that first shot – I i guess trying to show you how they look from the side?? These are GREAT, especially if you want rain boots that aren’t big old wellies (which I love, but less around-town friendly). I wouldn’t say these are great office shoes, but great for errand running, super comfortable, and obviously very cute.

Women’s Caribou™ x Boot Chelsea – Sorel

Chunky Chelsea Boot

Y’all, THESE ARE IT FOR ME. I LOVE these and have worn them so much already. They have that lug-sole look, but it’s rubber and not very heavy. They are Sorels (a brand I love so much) with a rubber base and waterproof leather on top. they look so cute with socks/shorts and tucked up into jeans. They are so comfortable, cute, and waterproof (so I can wear them around in the rain and mud and can just hose off). You’ll see me wearing these a lot this fall/winter.

The Dimes Kitten-Heel Boot – Madewell

Kitten Heel Boot

These are my other favorites and I’ve already worn them three times (and that’s a lot considering it’s still summer and I rarely leave the house). They are just really flattering and look so classy, but so simple. That little kitten heel is so cute.

I like wearing these with slouchier pants (think cargo or joggers), you know to comply with the “wrong shoe theory” (which I actually really like).

Classic Chelsea Boot – Nisolo

Classic Chelsea Boot

I’ve had these forever and I appreciate that Buttercup has left them intact. They are just so good, comfortable, flattering, in such a pretty rich color, and classic.

The Modern Loafer – Everlane

Loafers

These loafers are definitely on the less exciting side, but I’ve found myself wearing them a lot for shopping, errand running (or work if I had an office, obviously). They are really comfortable and slimming.

I, of course, found WAY more on the internet that I loved while I was shopping, but sincerely trying to not buy too many that I don’t need. So instead I just rounded up some other of my favorites. I do wish I had styled some of these for you with the right outfit because context changes the style so much but these are all just good, classic, timeless, comfortable, and guaranteed to look good with most outfits (IMHO). Happy fall to all our feet!!

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post A Few Of The Boots, Oxfords, And Clogs I’ll Wear To Death This Fall… appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Inspiration For Our First Farmhouse Halloween Front Porch (And More) + What Exterior Decor/Ideas We Love

Y’all, we’ve entered the Henderson Halloween era (or so I thought…keep reading). This should be no surprise to anyone considering my arguably inappropriate love of Christmas. We’ve never decorated the outside of the house for Halloween mostly because our neighborhood in LA wasn’t a huge trick or trick area and the kids were too little to want to be scared. Well, now they are almost 8 and 10 and I’m getting a lot of pressure/excitement from them (this front door doesn’t really count, fyi, i phoned it in with what I had during lockdown). Message received and mission attempted. I got so excited – ready to do another fun project for work with my kids.

But we weren’t on the same page. They wanted bloody arms, bloody zombies, double-headed terrifying monsters with no legs that shoot out of the earth when you walk by and scream at you. I should have KNOWN what would happen – that if I went that direction they would realize that they are too scared for it to be at their house. So after going super scary on my mood board and getting so excited, I’ve paired it back to just spooky and a little bit creepy and praying that they are on board (I’m showing them things as they arrive and so far so good.)

It will be less farmhouse chic and more spooky with a vintage/creepy farm-y/harvest bent.

We are starting from zero here – we have nothing for the outside and in order to become a Halloween house by October we have to invest and come up with some solid ideas (and buy before all the good stuff sells out). We are also only doing a small portion of the property (you could easily create a Halloween amusement park here every year – creepy barn, creepy tree-lined driveway, but we are taking it slow). So I treated this like a design project – creating a mood board, assessing look and feel, and then choosing products that would work for that. I also want to be clear that I’ll have help executing this – it’s going to be a lot of work and I don’t want other moms to feel the pressure of going big. If I didn’t have Gretchen I’d likely phone it in. So hopefully this gives some fun ideas and inspiration, but without any pressure.

Front Porch Inspiration – Farm-Style

We likely won’t get trick-or-treaters where we are (so set back from the street), but our neighborhood goes off and I still want to decorate the front porch for Dustin (our UPS guy who is so lovely) and of course, any guests that we invite over (and mostly for the kids).

For this, I’m thinking big spider webs (I’ve loved these from Target for years), a skeleton or two, big spiders, pumpkins, and a ton of black spray-painted branches foraged from the wood. I also bought some hanging light-up bats that are big and high-impact. Per usual, I’m not sure what will go where until I start playing.

Creepy Old House + Covered Walkway

The covered walkway is where the kids walk home from every day and it’s what you’ll see the most (far more than the front porch). So this felt like a great opportunity to cover it in spooky cloth or webs, hang ghosts or witches, or maybe zip-tie more black branches to each post. Not sure yet but there is an opportunity there for sure.

The older house on the property (from 1850 – likely a legit haunted house) is RIPE for some boarded-up windows and a cemetery in front of it. We are trying to figure out if A. we really need to do this (it’s so much work) and B. how to do fake boarded-up windows in a way that doesn’t ruin the facade of the house and get disgusting in the rain. But these inspirations are sooooo fun:

I also really wanted to do a cemetery somewhere and found great inspirational images for them. This could be in front of the old farmhouse or even better (but less noticeable) would be the orchard in the roundabout of our driveway. I think if I went all out it would be awesome, but not sure it will have enough impact to be worth the effort.

Spooky Farm Halloween Decor I Love

So I shopped and got some staples that I know I’ve always used and loved (spiders, webs, creepy cloth) and then added even a few animatronics which feels like a stretch for me. (I love the headless Victorian dress so much). Here’s what I’m either thinking of buying or have on its way.

Staked Ghosts with Lights (Set of 3) | Halloween Bats with Flashing Eyes (Set of 3) | Crows (Set of 4)

10‘ White Giant Spiderweb | 36′ Black Jumbo Spooky Fabric

50″ Plush Spider | 8.5 Ft. Wide Gigantic Spider

Light-Up Ghostly Dress | Scary Animatronic Sitting Scarecrow | Standing Ghost Girl (similar to the one I bought)

FYI I’m going to return that girl – she came and she’s pretty darn awesome, but the kids (AFTER APPROVING IT) said “NO WAY”. But the headless dress is awesome. The scarecrow hasn’t arrived yet so we’ll see (I think we actually got a different one that had no face – just burlap)

Mossy Bat Tombstone | Halloween Tombstones (Set of 5) | Welcome Stay Awhile Gravestone

5pc Skeleton Groundbreaker Set | Severed Plastic Skeleton Hands | Matte Black Skull Sculpture

Pre-lit Twiggy Trees (I got one of each size) | Twig Broomstick

Dewdrop Halloween Fairy String Lights Garland | Halloween String Lights.

I fear/know that it’s going to be a lot of work, but like decorating for Christmas, I’m hoping it’s worth it (now I’m sure de-halloweening can be extreme). We’ll see what we end up executing and if any of you have tips about doing this in the PNW (i.e. with rain) let me know. I’m VERY excited – having these touch-points throughout the year and reasons to celebrate (especially while the kiddos are old enough to help but young enough to still want to help :))

*Opening Image by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: My Spooky (And Super Simple) Kid-Approved Halloween Decor

**Farmhouse Photos by Kalitin Green

The post Inspiration For Our First Farmhouse Halloween Front Porch (And More) + What Exterior Decor/Ideas We Love appeared first on Emily Henderson.

What Is A Natural Garden?? How Do You Create A Garden Color Palette?? All Your Questions Answered By Emily’s Professional Landscape Architect

Ya’ll, once again I was lucky enough to learn so much from professionals and experts – this time about landscaping. This job was massive and while a lot will thrive in Oregon (due to rain), I wanted someone who understood the vibe we were going for and I could trust to stay in line with that goal. When we met with Cali Pfaff from Studio Campo and she just got us – she has a very sophisticated and yet really casual approach to landscape design that felt so right to us. Our tastes were totally aligned which felt so good. Every presentation she showed us was so beautiful, and we had so little feedback because she just nailed it. So today she is going to share some of her expertise with y’all – it’s such an informative post. Thank you, Cali!

Hi there, my name is Cali and I run a landscape architecture practice, Studio Campo, with a focus on naturalistic design. Over the past two years, I have worked with Em and Brian to develop a farm master plan and am excited to share with you all some of the thinking behind the garden and tips for how to achieve a similar look at home. Throughout the process, we have had a number of amazing collaborators whose hearts and minds informed the design, including Yardzen, Northwest Native Landscapes, and ARCIFORM. Most critically, I want to thank Emily and Brian for trusting me with their garden. We will begin with a little garden psychology on how to craft a mood, provide some tips on assessing your site, and then dive into how we developed the plant palette at Em’s house and how to achieve a similar look in your home. I am happy to address any questions you may have in the comments.

Before we begin, you may be wondering what is a natural garden exactly? And what makes a plant native? In essence, a natural garden mimics the function and appearance of nature; it is designed with ecology in mind. For some of you, it may feel messy and it is, in certain ways. What we sought to do in their yard is balance naturalistic planting with moments of quiet (the lawn, the patio, the pool) and use a curated color palette to give a sense of cohesion and warmth. As for native plants, I find it helpful to think about the larger ecosystems that shape your location, rather than strictly going by what plants fall within state lines. Portland, for example, abuts the coastal mountains and the Pacific Coast temperate rainforest and resides along the Willamette River and its fertile inland valleys. For Em’s garden, we drew from both of those landscapes and used a mix of native and adaptive (non-native, non-invasive, climatically appropriate) plants; it is a both-and situation.

Crafting A Mood

Gardens are deeply personal spaces. Done right, they can invoke memories and connect us to a wilder world. When starting a garden design project, I ask clients a few framing questions to better understand what they find beautiful (and not beautiful), and how their garden can help them live the life they imagine for themselves. 

What kind of landscape did you grow up in? What are your strongest memories of gardens and/or the outdoors? What does a perfect morning at home look like to you?

Often, people’s sense of beauty is rooted in the place they grew up or a “chosen home” they settled on later in life. When working with Emily and Brian, their answers to this first question were telling and shaped the layout of the garden as a whole. Brian had vivid memories of playing sports on a big grassy lawn as night set in. Emily’s childhood was a bit more woody, snacking on huckleberries in the woods with her siblings. So we knew we needed both pieces: the structure and formality of the lawn with loose, naturalistic planting and wild edges. Brian and Em also put a lot of thought into the type of childhood the farm would create for their kids and the overall farm plan was developed with a sense of adventure in mind. The combination creates a landscape that is very them and strikes a delicate balance between manicured and natural.

When designing a natural garden for yourself, one way to begin is to think on what kind of mood or feeling you are after. Moody, joyful, quiet, lush? Does your current garden capture this feeling? What feels inharmonious? There are many factors (program, budget, maintenance, climate, etc.) that impact a garden’s design but mood is often overlooked and can be a helpful bellwether for the design. For the Hendersons, key descriptors were natural, unfussy, and farmy, with an ongoing conversation on how to balance simplicity with a sense of abundance.

Garden Mood-Setting Tips:Create a mood board to capture the feeling of your garden (example above), then divide it out into spaces or elements you’d like to incorporate into the garden as a whole.Map out how you spend a typical day off at home and see if there are any tweaks to your routine that would prompt you or your family to spend more time outdoors (e.g. a shaded dining table, a great reading chair, an outdoor movie screen, a remote office space, etc). Design is habit forming, try putting a super comfy chair outdoors and see if it shifts your routine. Look out of every window in your house. What do you see? What do you want to see? Varying the foreground, middle ground, and background will make the garden more dynamic and allow for privacy from certain rooms, longer views from others. Journal on the framing questions above, ask a garden-curious friend to do the same, and discuss your answers over coffee.Understanding Your Site (And Yourself)

The more you know about your property and its local ecology, the better equipped you will be to design with nature. My suggestion to anyone starting a garden project is to map what’s existing and then test your soil. There is a tendency to add compost to any and all soil. This can be a mistake, particularly when working with native plants. Many native species (prairie plants in particular) thrive in nutrient-poor soil where there is less competition and deep root systems allow the plants to weather droughts. When we over-enrich the soil, we provide ideal conditions for weeds to thrive. For a natural garden, irrigation should ideally focus on allowing healthy plants to establish and weather extreme temperatures, rather than acting as continual life support.

Ultimately, your garden will be happier if you match your plant palette to the local climate (precipitation, sun, winter hardiness) and to your property (soil type, drainage, proximity to buildings and infrastructure, etc.). I know that this may seem a little heartbreaking if your taste is at odds with the norm in your area but you can truly create any style of garden using native and adaptive plants; it’s all about how you combine them, something we will cover in a bit. 

Lastly, be honest with yourself on maintenance. Not everyone enjoys gardening and fewer love weeding. There is no shame in starting small with a single bed or a few pots to test out ideas. If you are committed to a more natural garden but are not crazy about maintenance, try replacing aging trees and shrubs with native species that can provide a broad range of ecological services (nesting grounds, winter forage, high-nutrient food) with little additional maintenance. Em and Brian made a maintenance-driven decision at their place to narrow the beds around their house and limit higher maintenance planting to those zones.

Site Assessment Tips:Consider a 6-month moratorium on landscaping when you move into a new place. Keep notes of areas that are thriving and those that need help before planning a renovation or engaging a designer. Test your soil! The more you can align your plant selection to your soil, the happier your plants will be. Most states have an agricultural school where you can send in samples or there are at-home kits available at Home Depot or garden centers. What you are looking for is info on soil type (sandy, loamy, clayey), soil richness or fertility, and nutrient deficiencies or excesses (nitrogen, potassium, etc.).Walk your neighborhood. You can get a ton of inspiration and granular data on what plants thrive in your area by going on a long walk. iPhoto has a great feature where you can identify plants by clicking the info icon at the bottom of your photo. If you live in an arid region, look up dry gardens and gravel gardens for ideas on how to pull off low water and lush. You can also search these terms alongside a garden style you are fond of (“cottage style dry garden”) to see what’s possible. Honing Your Color Palette

Not all landscape designers use color to structure planting but I find a dialed-in color palette can provide a sense of cohesion and helps to narrow the plant list. Luckily for this project, Em is a magician with color. The exterior paint selection for the residence ultimately settled on a palette heavy on white with dusty blue, copper, and black accents. Tonally, Em had a vision for the garden from the start, with shades of blush, white, copper, and burgundy. Something soft, layered, and rooted in the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. To balance the pinks and warm tones, we used accents of black, burgundy, and sage in the planting to give depth and interest to the planting beds. We used a triadic color palette (sage, copper, burgundy). The planting around the house is lush, diverse, and hedges on the wilder side. The constrained color palette and tidy lawn create a nice contrast to the lushness of the planting and act as visual cues to visitors that the overgrown feeling is intentional. 

Garden Color Palette Tips:If you have a color in mind, search for abstract paintings of the color online to explore interesting color combinations. Abstract expressionists like Joan Mitchell, Mark Rothko, and Clifford Still are favorites of mine. If you already have your exterior paint palette selected, use a color palette tool (Coolors, Adobe, and Canva all have free options) to test out complementary, monochromatic, triadic, and analogous combinations for your plant palette.Visit a favorite regional open space and take photos with color top of mind. What are the color overtones? What tonality are the rocks and soil? What plants set the palette? This can change seasonally too. Curating A Natural Plant Palette

The Hendersons’ planting divides into three palettes: full sun, part shade, and native/unirrigated for the outer edges of the property. The idea is that the planting is more curated close to the house and gets softer and more natural as you move away. The full sun and part shade palettes align with the houses’s solar orientation and creates a nice alternating rhythm as you circle the house. The Henderson’s front door faces north and the part shade palette is more subdued, borrowing from the native coastal woodlands Em grew up in. As you move towards to back deck—facing West, the planting gets more wild, colorful, and is heavier on perennials, which provides a nice sense of movement and whimsy. The full sun palette is prairie-inspired and draws from a wider range of plants.

left: colorful flowers by deck (facing west) | right: prairie-inspired flowers (full sun)

The plant palette should build interest across seasons, provide enough structure for the dormant season, and have a range of blooms, forage, and habitat for wildlife. There are a number of great resources that I will include at the end of this article on naturalistic planting but here are some key design ideas: the first is that naturalistic planting is built in layers. The ground cover underlays a dynamic mix of perennials and grasses, seasonal bulbs pop up through, and shrubs and trees add structure, shade, and winter interest. Planting is dense and dynamic, as you would see in the wild. We planted Emily’s garden in May and the beds are beginning to take off. It will take another 2-3 years before they really hit their stride. While I promote density in grasses, ground cover, and perennials, it is important to provide trees and shrubs ample space to reach their mature size. You can underplant shrubs with other plants but leave enough space between shrubs and trees for them to stretch out.

Next, let’s talk bloom cycles. If you are musically inclined, the bloom cycle is like an orchestral arrangement of flowers colliding across the seasons. Ecologically speaking, the longer and more diverse the bloom, the more wildlife your garden can support. It is truly win-win. One mistake I often see in DIY garden design is that people go to the garden center, buy whatever is beautiful and in bloom, and end up with garden that only blooms for a short window. Here are some combinations to try at home that will span the seasons:

Full Sun

Echinacea, Ornamental Grass, Penstemon, Sedum, Ninebark

All these plants are common in nurseries and come in a vast array of colors, textures, and sizes. In the first row are the species used in Emily’s garden, followed by two variations to show the versatility of these plants. 

Natural Plant Palette Tips:Skip the mulch. I know this may sound crazy but mulch is not necessary in all situations. Densely plant your perennials, grasses, and ground covers. As plantsmen Thomas Rainier says, the plants are the mulch. Double down. As your garden matures, double down on the plants that are thriving. You can do this by collecting seed, taking cuttings, or heading to the nursery. Repetition shows intentionality in the planting and if a plant makes you smile, grow more.Demand better. The nursery industry still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to growing and supplying native plants. If your nursery or local Home Depot doesn’t have what you are looking for, ask them to order it. Consumers have the power to move the market. Explore nativars. Native plants are wild by nature, they spread, breed, and drop fruit. These are all beautiful things but not always next to your foundation and in a narrow bed. Nativars are nursery adaptations of native plants, some are bred for size, interesting color combinations, or sterility. They can often provide many of the same ecological services without the issues of a full-fledged native plant. Some we used at the Henderson’s are: “Tiny Wine” Ninebark, “Lynnhaven Carpet” Robin’s Plantain, and “Peewee” Oakleaf Hydrangea.

And with that, we close! Thank you for reading and if this piqued your interest, below are some resources you may find helpful as you plan your own garden. For those doubly curious about Em’s garden, we have included the full plant palette on our website.

Natural Gardening Resources

Planting the Natural Garden by Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen

Natural gardening classic with images and recommendations on the favorite plants by the most well known plantsman in the world

New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden by Kelly Norris

I love this book. Beautifully written and touches on geology, ecology, and other forces shaping your garden, all while being accessible to the reader. Gah photos and plant guides.

Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden by Benjamin Vogt

User-friendly guide on how to transition your yard into a habitat area and not scare your neighbors. Best step-by-step book on the process of natural garden-making.

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer

This is the most technical of the recommendations but SO GOOD. Introduced new thinking into planting design on how to bring nature into built landscapes. Great diagrams.

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post What Is A Natural Garden?? How Do You Create A Garden Color Palette?? All Your Questions Answered By Emily’s Professional Landscape Architect appeared first on Emily Henderson.

What Is A Native Garden?? How Do You Create A Garden Color Palette?? All Your Questions Answered By Emily’s Professional Landscaper

Ya’ll, once again I was lucky enough to learn so much from professionals and experts – this time about landscaping. This job was massive and while a lot will thrive in Oregon (due to rain), I wanted someone who understood the vibe we were going for and I could trust to stay in line with that goal. When we met with Cali Pfaff from Studio Campo and she just got us – she has a very sophisticated and yet really casual approach to landscape design that felt so right to us. Our tastes were totally aligned which felt so good. Every presentation she showed us was so beautiful, and we had so little feedback because she just nailed it. So today she is going to share some of her expertise with y’all – it’s such an informative post. Thank you, Cali!

Hi there, my name is Cali and I run a landscape architecture practice, Studio Campo, with a focus on naturalistic design. Over the past two years, I have worked with Em and Brian to develop a farm master plan and am excited to share with you all some of the thinking behind the garden and tips for how to achieve a similar look at home. Throughout the process, we have had a number of amazing collaborators whose hearts and minds informed the design, including Yardzen, Northwest Native Landscapes, and ARCIFORM. Most critically, I want to thank Emily and Brian for trusting me with their garden. We will begin with a little garden psychology on how to craft a mood, provide some tips on assessing your site, and then dive into how we developed the plant palette at Em’s house and how to achieve a similar look in your home. I am happy to address any questions you may have in the comments.

Before we begin, you may be wondering what is a natural garden exactly? And what makes a plant native? In essence, a natural garden mimics the function and appearance of nature; it is designed with ecology in mind. For some of you, it may feel messy and it is, in certain ways. What we sought to do in their yard is balance naturalistic planting with moments of quiet (the lawn, the patio, the pool) and use a curated color palette to give a sense of cohesion and warmth. As for native plants, I find it helpful to think about the larger ecosystems that shape your location, rather than strictly going by what plants fall within state lines. Portland, for example, abuts the coastal mountains and the Pacific Coast temperate rainforest and resides along the Willamette River and its fertile inland valleys. For Em’s garden, we drew from both of those landscapes and used a mix of native and adaptive (non-native, non-invasive, climatically appropriate) plants; it is a both-and situation.

Crafting A Mood

Gardens are deeply personal spaces. Done right, they can invoke memories and connect us to a wilder world. When starting a garden design project, I ask clients a few framing questions to better understand what they find beautiful (and not beautiful), and how their garden can help them live the life they imagine for themselves. 

What kind of landscape did you grow up in? What are your strongest memories of gardens and/or the outdoors? What does a perfect morning at home look like to you?

Often, people’s sense of beauty is rooted in the place they grew up or a “chosen home” they settled on later in life. When working with Emily and Brian, their answers to this first question were telling and shaped the layout of the garden as a whole. Brian had vivid memories of playing sports on a big grassy lawn as night set in. Emily’s childhood was a bit more woody, snacking on huckleberries in the woods with her siblings. So we knew we needed both pieces: the structure and formality of the lawn with loose, naturalistic planting and wild edges. Brian and Em also put a lot of thought into the type of childhood the farm would create for their kids and the overall farm plan was developed with a sense of adventure in mind. The combination creates a landscape that is very them and strikes a delicate balance between manicured and natural.

When designing a natural garden for yourself, one way to begin is to think on what kind of mood or feeling you are after. Moody, joyful, quiet, lush? Does your current garden capture this feeling? What feels inharmonious? There are many factors (program, budget, maintenance, climate, etc.) that impact a garden’s design but mood is often overlooked and can be a helpful bellwether for the design. For the Hendersons, key descriptors were natural, unfussy, and farmy, with an ongoing conversation on how to balance simplicity with a sense of abundance.

Garden Mood-Setting Tips:Create a mood board to capture the feeling of your garden (example above), then divide it out into spaces or elements you’d like to incorporate into the garden as a whole.Map out how you spend a typical day off at home and see if there are any tweaks to your routine that would prompt you or your family to spend more time outdoors (e.g. a shaded dining table, a great reading chair, an outdoor movie screen, a remote office space, etc). Design is habit forming, try putting a super comfy chair outdoors and see if it shifts your routine. Look out of every window in your house. What do you see? What do you want to see? Varying the foreground, middle ground, and background will make the garden more dynamic and allow for privacy from certain rooms, longer views from others. Journal on the framing questions above, ask a garden-curious friend to do the same, and discuss your answers over coffee.Understanding Your Site (And Yourself)

The more you know about your property and its local ecology, the better equipped you will be to design with nature. My suggestion to anyone starting a garden project is to map what’s existing and then test your soil. There is a tendency to add compost to any and all soil. This can be a mistake, particularly when working with native plants. Many native species (prairie plants in particular) thrive in nutrient-poor soil where there is less competition and deep root systems allow the plants to weather droughts. When we over-enrich the soil, we provide ideal conditions for weeds to thrive. For a natural garden, irrigation should ideally focus on allowing healthy plants to establish and weather extreme temperatures, rather than acting as continual life support.

Ultimately, your garden will be happier if you match your plant palette to the local climate (precipitation, sun, winter hardiness) and to your property (soil type, drainage, proximity to buildings and infrastructure, etc.). I know that this may seem a little heartbreaking if your taste is at odds with the norm in your area but you can truly create any style of garden using native and adaptive plants; it’s all about how you combine them, something we will cover in a bit. 

Lastly, be honest with yourself on maintenance. Not everyone enjoys gardening and fewer love weeding. There is no shame in starting small with a single bed or a few pots to test out ideas. If you are committed to a more natural garden but are not crazy about maintenance, try replacing aging trees and shrubs with native species that can provide a broad range of ecological services (nesting grounds, winter forage, high-nutrient food) with little additional maintenance. Em and Brian made a maintenance-driven decision at their place to narrow the beds around their house and limit higher maintenance planting to those zones.

Site Assessment Tips:Consider a 6-month moratorium on landscaping when you move into a new place. Keep notes of areas that are thriving and those that need help before planning a renovation or engaging a designer. Test your soil! The more you can align your plant selection to your soil, the happier your plants will be. Most states have an agricultural school where you can send in samples or there are at-home kits available at Home Depot or garden centers. What you are looking for is info on soil type (sandy, loamy, clayey), soil richness or fertility, and nutrient deficiencies or excesses (nitrogen, potassium, etc.).Walk your neighborhood. You can get a ton of inspiration and granular data on what plants thrive in your area by going on a long walk. iPhoto has a great feature where you can identify plants by clicking the info icon at the bottom of your photo. If you live in an arid region, look up dry gardens and gravel gardens for ideas on how to pull off low water and lush. You can also search these terms alongside a garden style you are fond of (“cottage style dry garden”) to see what’s possible. Honing Your Color Palette

Not all landscape designers use color to structure planting but I find a dialed-in color palette can provide a sense of cohesion and helps to narrow the plant list. Luckily for this project, Em is a magician with color. The exterior paint selection for the residence ultimately settled on a palette heavy on white with dusty blue, copper, and black accents. Tonally, Em had a vision for the garden from the start, with shades of blush, white, copper, and burgundy. Something soft, layered, and rooted in the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. To balance the pinks and warm tones, we used accents of black, burgundy, and sage in the planting to give depth and interest to the planting beds. We used a triadic color palette (sage, copper, burgundy). The planting around the house is lush, diverse, and hedges on the wilder side. The constrained color palette and tidy lawn create a nice contrast to the lushness of the planting and act as visual cues to visitors that the overgrown feeling is intentional. 

Garden Color Palette Tips:If you have a color in mind, search for abstract paintings of the color online to explore interesting color combinations. Abstract expressionists like Joan Mitchell, Mark Rothko, and Clifford Still are favorites of mine. If you already have your exterior paint palette selected, use a color palette tool (Coolors, Adobe, and Canva all have free options) to test out complementary, monochromatic, triadic, and analogous combinations for your plant palette.Visit a favorite regional open space and take photos with color top of mind. What are the color overtones? What tonality are the rocks and soil? What plants set the palette? This can change seasonally too. Curating A Natural Plant Palette

The Hendersons’ planting divides into three palettes: full sun, part shade, and native/unirrigated for the outer edges of the property. The idea is that the planting is more curated close to the house and gets softer and more natural as you move away. The full sun and part shade palettes align with the houses’s solar orientation and creates a nice alternating rhythm as you circle the house. The Henderson’s front door faces north and the part shade palette is more subdued, borrowing from the native coastal woodlands Em grew up in. As you move towards to back deck—facing West, the planting gets more wild, colorful, and is heavier on perennials, which provides a nice sense of movement and whimsy. The full sun palette is prairie-inspired and draws from a wider range of plants.

left: colorful flowers by deck (facing west) | right: prairie-inspired flowers (full sun)

The plant palette should build interest across seasons, provide enough structure for the dormant season, and have a range of blooms, forage, and habitat for wildlife. There are a number of great resources that I will include at the end of this article on naturalistic planting but here are some key design ideas: the first is that naturalistic planting is built in layers. The ground cover underlays a dynamic mix of perennials and grasses, seasonal bulbs pop up through, and shrubs and trees add structure, shade, and winter interest. Planting is dense and dynamic, as you would see in the wild. We planted Emily’s garden in May and the beds are beginning to take off. It will take another 2-3 years before they really hit their stride. While I promote density in grasses, ground cover, and perennials, it is important to provide trees and shrubs ample space to reach their mature size. You can underplant shrubs with other plants but leave enough space between shrubs and trees for them to stretch out.

Next, let’s talk bloom cycles. If you are musically inclined, the bloom cycle is like an orchestral arrangement of flowers colliding across the seasons. Ecologically speaking, the longer and more diverse the bloom, the more wildlife your garden can support. It is truly win-win. One mistake I often see in DIY garden design is that people go to the garden center, buy whatever is beautiful and in bloom, and end up with garden that only blooms for a short window. Here are some combinations to try at home that will span the seasons:

Full Sun

Echinacea, Ornamental Grass, Penstemon, Sedum, Ninebark

All these plants are common in nurseries and come in a vast array of colors, textures, and sizes. In the first row are the species used in Emily’s garden, followed by two variations to show the versatility of these plants. 

Natural Plant Palette Tips:Skip the mulch. I know this may sound crazy but mulch is not necessary in all situations. Densely plant your perennials, grasses, and ground covers. As plantsmen Thomas Rainier says, the plants are the mulch. Double down. As your garden matures, double down on the plants that are thriving. You can do this by collecting seed, taking cuttings, or heading to the nursery. Repetition shows intentionality in the planting and if a plant makes you smile, grow more.Demand better. The nursery industry still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to growing and supplying native plants. If your nursery or local Home Depot doesn’t have what you are looking for, ask them to order it. Consumers have the power to move the market. Explore nativars. Native plants are wild by nature, they spread, breed, and drop fruit. These are all beautiful things but not always next to your foundation and in a narrow bed. Nativars are nursery adaptations of native plants, some are bred for size, interesting color combinations, or sterility. They can often provide many of the same ecological services without the issues of a full-fledged native plant. Some we used at the Henderson’s are: “Tiny Wine” Ninebark, “Lynnhaven Carpet” Robin’s Plantain, and “Peewee” Oakleaf Hydrangea.

And with that, we close! Thank you for reading and if this piqued your interest, below are some resources you may find helpful as you plan your own garden. For those doubly curious about Em’s garden, we have included the full plant palette on our website.

Natural Gardening Resources

Planting the Natural Garden by Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen

Natural gardening classic with images and recommendations on the favorite plants by the most well known plantsman in the world

New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden by Kelly Norris

I love this book. Beautifully written and touches on geology, ecology, and other forces shaping your garden, all while being accessible to the reader. Gah photos and plant guides.

Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden by Benjamin Vogt

User-friendly guide on how to transition your yard into a habitat area and not scare your neighbors. Best step-by-step book on the process of natural garden-making.

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer

This is the most technical of the recommendations but SO GOOD. Introduced new thinking into planting design on how to bring nature into built landscapes. Great diagrams.

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post What Is A Native Garden?? How Do You Create A Garden Color Palette?? All Your Questions Answered By Emily’s Professional Landscaper appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The FULL Before And After Backyard Makeover – The Overall Layout + Our First Official Oregon Summer At The Farm

We bit off a lot with this property makeover and at times I definitely was worried that someone was going to choke (hi! me!), but like most of life’s biggest moments (weddings, childbirth, switching careers, cliff jumping!), if you are lucky to be able to do it the joy of the outcome far surpasses the stress of the process. We feel so incredibly lucky, grateful, and thankful that this is our “backyard” and that we had so many talented experts and resources to help us get here. And while it’s not “done” and there are things we want to tweak, we love it so much and we were able to enjoy almost the whole summer without construction (or mud!!!). It has been a true dream – so fun, functional, beautiful, and enjoyable. Honestly, we rarely leave and I want to invite the whole world over. So in this post, I’ll walk you through the full layout now that we’ve deep dove into some of the more major elements (split rail fence, Soake pool, sports court, and the Alpasture :)) And a bit before/mud/after explosion. A huge thanks to our designer, Cali Pfaff from Studio Campo – she absolutely got our vibe, was a dream to work with, and while there are a few little things that we all want to tweak, now that everything is growing in, the overall look and feel summer one is just wonderful and we are so happy. We are just enjoying it being in such a great “stage one phase” and excited to see it grow in over the next few years.

Cali is doing a post tomorrow about the plant selection and curated color palette, so I won’t touch on that too much today (but I love almost all of it soooooooo much and couldn’t be happier). It was expertly executed by our landscape contractor, Dan’l and his team from Northwest Native Landscape in Portland. His team worked out there in the rain and mud for months and months on end (shout out to Scott who was the project manager and had to deal with us the most LOL).

Oh, but before we get too much further, you bet we made an awesome long-form YouTube video so you can really get a sense of the space and hear me talk about even more thoughts and feelings about the whole process. But for a little teaser of that video, let the next video play after the quick ad!

This property was a big overhaul because the needs were great and like renovating a house, you really have to invest in the infrastructure (what goes behind the walls) to ensure that what you are planting will even live (let alone thrive). So over the course of the year and a half, Northwest Native Landscapes did the following major changes:

1. All the invasives were removed and bad soil demo’d out.
2. The soil was prepped (they blew truckloads of new soil everywhere).
3. Irrigation was set everywhere (hooked up to our now re-commissioned well) – yes, even in Oregon. And with four months of heat this summer there is no way anything would have lived (as the plants get more and more established we’ll reduce our irrigation usage every summer but the initial investment was important and steep).
4. So much grading to make it all drain properly.
5. Larger trees installed (thanks, Big Trees Today!)
6. All the hardscape prepped and installed (variegated bluestone/flagstone).
7. The sports court was cut in half and repoured. (read this post).
8. The Soake pool was dug and installed (read this post).
9. Then and only then can you do all the fun stuff that could get ruined if you did it too early – like plants, flowers, and sod could get destroyed with construction.

It was a LOT. Y’all, I’m embarrassed to say that we were probably very challenging clients because we were still in the middle of the house renovation and frankly didn’t know what the real doable budget was for the exterior – we hadn’t really set enough aside to do what this property needed (we were massively over budget on the house). And then that year (2022) when it rained for like 19 months in a row we were really, really scared that we were going to move back to Arrowhead. So spending more and more on something we might never use/enjoy was nauseating. But then we faced the music and realized that regardless of whether we stayed here or sold the house we’d have to invest into making the property look beautiful. At this point, it was 100% mud so divesting from it wasn’t possible. It was a thick, hard pill to swallow but I’m so grateful that we were able to do it (we had savings from selling our house in Los Feliz). And right now we are soooooooo happy living in Portland that there is NO chance we are moving any time soon. THANK THE UNIVERSE. This yard will get used and abused by hopefully the whole neighborhood of kids (we have six kids over here right now after school playing on the sports court and feeding our new piglets – I’m watching them through the sunroom while writing this post and it makes my heart so happy).

THE BEFORE – 3 Years Ago

So here is the view from the second-floor bedroom when we bought the house. It was winter and rural, with the biggest rundown tennis court ever. When this photo was taken we thought we’d like just paint the sports court, maybe add some plants or remove some of the blackberry bushes, but that’s it, LOLOLOLOL.

The Process – The Year Of The Mud

As I wrote about before, the renovation of the house actually ruined most of the original plants/grass. We had to shift to doing a much larger job than we had initially hoped/intended. You literally couldn’t believe how much mud there was – we sat inside this beautiful new house, staring out the windows, unable to leave without knee-high bogs. But it’s over!!!!!!

And here we are as of July this year. Scrolling back and forth between these photos makes me so incredibly happy, proud, thankful, relieved – all the positive feelings in the world. When we were in the thick of it we didn’t know if we’d ever be able to leave our house in a pair of normal shoes. We knew this was our doing (which at times made it worse) and that if we were patient enough, the mud someday would end. And it did. And we are just so happy.

Here’s a before/after GIF, three years apart.

That before and after just KILLS ME. And it’s only summer number one – meaning that so many of the plants are in their “hair plug” stage and by next summer it will have grown in more naturally. We also purposefully planted a lot of fast-growing grasses and wildflowers for year one growth that we are likely going to cut down or mix in (Cali has a plant that I don’t totally remember). But even with those little tweaks we might make, we LOVE how it looks.

As you can see we did the big stuff – shrunk the sports court, added the pool area + pool house + garden, added a flagstone pathway around the whole property, and put in a new healthy lawn in the front. I’m so excited for all the ground cover to take over and soften all the lines.

Michael shot drone footage for our YouTube video and we stole a screenshot from it – it’s SO FUN to see it from sky high. I think it’s pretty easy to see where we stopped the design/budget on phase one – all the brown below the pool area is just mulch and anything right of the sports court and the split rail fence remains just weeds. We are not even THINKING about what we might do with it – we are taking a huge break from construction and feel very content as is.

The Pool Area + Pool House

I did a full post about the Soake Pool, so this is more about the pea gravel area that contains the pool house and garden boxes. This is the most magical area (IMHO) – the Soake pool turned out so incredible and the pool house behind it was a happy little accident that I already love so much.

Wait, Is The Greenhouse Now A Poolhouse/Gym?

Yep. The reason we built this was two-fold:
1. We needed a structure to house and attach all the pool mechanics and…
2. The sunroom windows came in with an abnormality from Sierra Pacific and their customer service was so wonderful that they replaced them with perfect windows, and I was allowed to keep these to use in this structure. This is going to be kinda confusing but for those of you curious, the “shadow bar” was missing in these (a little piece of metal that makes the windows look as close to “true divided lights” as possible – go here for more info). So it is totally fine for this structure and they are perfectly good double-paned windows, but was really noticeable in the sunroom (and the shadow bar or lack thereof is specifically noticeable with 5/8ths grilles, so we ended up upping them to 7/8ths in the sunroom on the second round). I’ll explain more when we shoot it likely in late fall.

Of course, it can still be a greenhouse, folks – and we even put two incredible Velux skylights in there, but we figure that it’s unknown whether I’m going to be a professional gardener. But it’s not unknown that Brian and I both try to work out every day so for now it’s our gym.

Adirondack Chair | Picnic Table | Sconce

We are NOT done with this at all but I wanted to show it to you as-is. We did this very fast/dirty/cheap (and kept it small enough that we didn’t have to permit it). It was up in a matter of weeks, with mostly leftover materials (framing, roofing, windows, and siding). It has basic electrical, no plumbing, and only a mini-split inside for heat and AC. Like I said, we’ve decided to turn it into the gym/yoga room. Yes that door should be as tall as the windows, LOL, but more on that later. We had two leftover exterior sconces that we threw on here and it really looks like an appropriate and elevated outbuilding (two more Carson sconces are on order for the other two sides).

The whole pea gravel area turned out simple and sweet. I love the vibe of the picnic table here and it’s where the kids eat when we have a lot of families over (dining chairs with legs can be difficult in pea gravel so I love these picnic tables with attached benches).

We separated the pea gravel area from the pool with a 4′ planting bed and some stepping stones (variegated bluestone – the most affordable bluestone). So far the pea gravel stays where it is (Northwest Native used steel edging to keep it in place around the perimeter). At one point we were going to do all the paths out of pea gravel but I’m glad we didn’t – I fear that the dogs would have made it a huge mess and we’d be cleaning it out of the grass daily. But here it’s great! Sometimes I think the grasses with the wildflowers look too messy (whenever I say I love ALMOST all of it, I’m talking about around here, not around the house where I couldn’t be happier). Cali came and edited it a bit but I want to continue to tweak it where it’s less wild (my literal brief was wild and messy haha). We did these to save on cost + get immediate impact.

Adirondack Chair | Fire Pit

The split rail fence keeps it zoned all nicely. I threw the four Adirondack chairs around a firepit (from Target, but I think we want a smokeless one). For all you PDX’ers out there, don’t worry we didn’t light it since it’s wood burning and there was a fire ban this summer (the wood is burnt because we stole it from our living room fireplace – literally carrying over half-burnt logs in our arms for this shoot).

Garden Boxes

The garden boxes to the left of the gym were planted so late, but I am getting a fall harvest of lettuces, brussel sprouts, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes). Look at ME!!!!!! I feel like a regular Grit and Polish over here (if you don’t follow them you really should – an excellent personal/DIY farmhouse blogging family with the most beautiful garden space and thoughtful designs). I’d like to brag real quick that I put these garden boxes together on my own. I bought like 40 bags of organic soil and lined the sides – just with me and the kids. I even planted them myself (but our irrigation sub had always planned on putting in a drip so he came back to do that).

The trees are non-fruit-bearing cherry trees with ornamental grasses and wild strawberries as groundcover underneath. Cali has this awesome idea to plant white daffodil bulbs all throughout under the cherry trees that will pop up in spring.

This is where we sit almost ALL of the time. The big oak tree is so shady and this area always feels breezy. You can see the kids on the court or in the pool pretty easily. Until we figure out where we want to grill more permanently the BBQ just sits on the edge of the sports court with a prep table (Brian likes to play and grill at the same time making this hard to layout).

Table | Bench | Spindle Chair (only available in a Settee) | Sconce | Door

The table, benches, and black chairs are from Rejuvenation (and are all-weather so we don’t worry about them). 8-10 can easily sit here so when we have friends over usually the grownups sit here while the kids play. Also how cute is our bedroom’s black metal railing 🙂 I love that X detail over there. We used the copper Carson sconces throughout the exterior and just love them with the blue Sierra Pacific doors.

Hammock

There is a peek into the side yard which I don’t really go too much into this post (more to come) but that sweet hammock from Golden Yarrow is so cute (we have the blue one back in the Alpasture).

The Flagstone Paths

As you can see we used variegated bluestone flagstone throughout. We wanted it to look as much as stepping stones as possible and in some places it does and in others, the edges are a bit more angular. But we hope that once the ground cover grows in (mostly creeping thyme) it will soften all those edges. I tried not to be that homeowner stopping the hard workers and telling them to “be more natural and organic” because they were doing the job they were hired to do. Again, I think the biggest challenge is trying to make something look organic and natural (especially when you are doing it off a plan that doesn’t show enough nuance or details).

I love the flagstone and how solid and well executed it was (turns out you can’t just put it down and all their hard work made it really easy and smooth to walk on, which is going to be extra great when the rains return).

This corner of the sunroom kills me – Cali just NAILED the plant and flower selection. They look so natural, farmy, beautiful, soft, and casual (and feel so me!!!). And she thought a lot about seasonal color (i.e. making sure that we have enough evergreen for winter) so I’m excited to see how it changes throughout the year. One thing she noted is that for whatever reason flowering lambs ear were planted instead of non-flowering (that means very little to most of us) so we aren’t sure if the nursery sent the wrong variety. In some places I don’t mind it, in other places it looks super freaky so I clip it (but if you see it in all these photos know that it wasn’t Cali’s intention).

I think it’s time for some good old-fashioned before and afters – a real serotonin hit for any makeover enthusiasts.

Another huge thanks to Cali Pfaff from Studio Campo for this beautiful design, and Dan’l and his team from Northwest Native Landscapes for executing it. While the plants/trees (and us) have a lot of growing to do and the property will morph and change over time, the year one “reveal” is so good that the tweaks won’t be intimidating. Living here and enjoying the space has been a dream. Learning how we use it will help us make any remaining decisions.

And don’t forget to go watch the YouTube video! I promise it’s really fun:)

Resources:
Pool: Soake Pools
Lighting: Rejuvenation
House Paint Color: SW 7005 Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
Door Paint Color: SW 9655 Mountain Pass by Sherwin-Williams
Windows and Doors: White oak, Aspen Casement by Sierra Pacific Windows

*Design by Studio Campo
**Landscaping by Northwest Native Landscapes
***Photos by Kaitlin Green
****Video by Michael Raines

The post The FULL Before And After Backyard Makeover – The Overall Layout + Our First Official Oregon Summer At The Farm appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Happy SOUPtember – Our Favorite Family-Friendly (And Healthy) Soup That We Make Every Week

Oh she’s not done with soups and I’m craving the coziness for fall, so soups are on my mind. For me, it’s more of a year-round lifestyle – SOUPtember, CROCKtober, STOVEmber, DecemBROTH, JanSTEWary, etc (admittedly this is stronger in the fall and winter months). Just to be clear I make mostly stews, chock full of veggies and protein – FULL MEAL DEALS in a pot. They are impossible to mess up (not like baking) and there are one million flavor profiles (thus not getting sick of it). I enjoy it in my mouth, my body feels good, and the cleanup is super easy – I can check one big life box with a cutting board, knife and a big pot.

Last year I started making this same soup (almost) every sunday, ready to eat for 3-4 meals the following week. This might depress you – the idea of eating the same food every week, multiple nights in a row, but we love everything about it. Here is why:

It tastes very good, duh. This soup keeps so well – easily as good on day four as day one (many brothier soups are icky by day three). It can be dressed down (for the kids – no spice) and then dressed up for us. It is super healthy, filling, and EASY. I can make it with my eyes closed at this point. It allows me to eat more of whatever I want on the weekends, knowing that at least Monday – Wednesday has started out really healthy. It’s a balance, folks. Always.

Consider it a “food uniform” – something we don’t have to think about and we know it works. No more 5pm “what are we doing for dinner” stress. With this in the fridge, we know going into the week that we have at least two nights good to go (the kids only eat it one night).

Sauté the onion, carrot, celery in the EVO for 7-10 minutes til golden and all yummy smelling (sometimes I put the garlic here, other times later). Add tomato paste, cumin, and the red pepper (hold off on red pepper flakes until you’ve pulled out non-spicy portions for kiddos). Stir til the paste covers everything evenly. Add the ground turkey, garlic, ginger salt and pepper. Break up the turkey and cook until the turkey is browned which is about 4-7 minutes. Add the drained and rinsed beans and broth. Simmer 15-20 minutes. You can smash the beans if you want it to be thicker to release starch, or add more broth to make it brothier. I like it both ways. Also I’ve often done just two cans of beans which is enough. Loved it all. Add the chopped up kale. Now our kids don’t like kale one bit, and I try to avoid unnecessary battles with them because there are too many actual necessary battles we have to fight (like how my 7-year old wants to wear crop tops). So we throw some in the pot so they don’t think we are letting them off the vegetable hook, let it wilt and dish up their bowls (or put in Tupperware). Doctor it up. With the kids or non-spicy portions already removed, we make a version that we like more – we add the full head of kale chopped up, red pepper flakes, optional chopped up soft herbs and a lot of lemon (one whole lemon squeezed for the pot). Do The Kids Really Love It?

Ha. No, but they like it enough to not fight us on it and I consider that a WIN. This recipe is an easy one to adapt for kids and then doctor it up for us with more heat and veggies for grownups.

And in case you don’t have any soup making tools or need one or two, these are my recommendations:

Dutch Oven | 2. 8″ Zwilling Gourmet Chef’s Knife | 3. Epicurean ® Black Non-Slip Paper Composite Cutting Board | 4. Beech Wood Solid Spoon | 5. Stainless Steel Ladle | 6. Denim Apron

Happy Cozy September Souping, folks 🙂

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Happy SOUPtember – Our Favorite Family-Friendly (And Healthy) Soup That We Make Every Week appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Happy SOUPtember – Our Favorite Family-Friendly, (And Healthy Soup) That Week Make Every Week

Oh she’s not done with soups and I’m craving the coziness for fall, so soups are on my mind. For me, it’s more of a year-round lifestyle – SOUPtember, CROCKtober, STOVEmber, DecemBROTH, JanSTEWary, etc (admittedly this is stronger in the fall and winter months). Just to be clear I make mostly stews, chock full of veggies and protein – FULL MEAL DEALS in a pot. They are impossible to mess up (not like baking) and there are one million flavor profiles (thus not getting sick of it). I enjoy it in my mouth, my body feels good, and the cleanup is super easy – I can check one big life box with a cutting board, knife and a big pot.

Last year I started making this same soup (almost) every sunday, ready to eat for 3-4 meals the following week. This might depress you – the idea of eating the same food every week, multiple nights in a row, but we love everything about it. Here is why:

It tastes very good, duh. This soup keeps so well – easily as good on day four as day one (many brothier soups are icky by day three). It can be dressed down (for the kids – no spice) and then dressed up for us. It is super healthy, filling, and EASY. I can make it with my eyes closed at this point. It allows me to eat more of whatever I want on the weekends, knowing that at least Monday – Wednesday has started out really healthy. It’s a balance, folks. Always.

Consider it a “food uniform” – something we don’t have to think about and we know it works. No more 5pm “what are we doing for dinner” stress. With this in the fridge, we know going into the week that we have at least two nights good to go (the kids only eat it one night).

Sauté the onion, carrot, celery in the EVO for 7-10 minutes til golden and all yummy smelling (sometimes I put the garlic here, other times later). Add tomato paste, cumin, and the red pepper (hold off on red pepper flakes until you’ve pulled out non-spicy portions for kiddos). Stir til the paste covers everything evenly. Add the ground turkey, garlic, ginger salt and pepper. Break up the turkey and cook until the turkey is browned which is about 4-7 minutes. Add the drained and rinsed beans and broth. Simmer 15-20 minutes. You can smash the beans if you want it to be thicker to release starch, or add more broth to make it brothier. I like it both ways. Also I’ve often done just two cans of beans which is enough. Loved it all. Add the chopped up kale. Now our kids don’t like kale one bit, and I try to avoid unnecessary battles with them because there are too many actual necessary battles we have to fight (like how my 7-year old wants to wear crop tops). So we throw some in the pot so they don’t think we are letting them off the vegetable hook, let it wilt and dish up their bowls (or put in Tupperware). Doctor it up. With the kids or non-spicy portions already removed, we make a version that we like more – we add the full head of kale chopped up, red pepper flakes, optional chopped up soft herbs and a lot of lemon (one whole lemon squeezed for the pot). Do The Kids Really Love It?

Ha. No, but they like it enough to not fight us on it and I consider that a WIN. This recipe is an easy one to adapt for kids and then doctor it up for us with more heat and veggies for grownups.

And in case you don’t have any soup making tools or need one or two, these are my recommendations:

Dutch Oven | 2. 8″ Zwilling Gourmet Chef’s Knife | 3. Epicurean ® Black Non-Slip Paper Composite Cutting Board | 4. Beech Wood Solid Spoon | 5. Stainless Steel Ladle | 6. Denim Apron

Happy Cozy September Souping, folks 🙂

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post Happy SOUPtember – Our Favorite Family-Friendly, (And Healthy Soup) That Week Make Every Week appeared first on Emily Henderson.

The Link Up: The Softest Blanket Em’s Ever Bought, Mal’s New Lightweight Fall Sweater, And Some CUTE Halloween Decor

We know it’s not “technically” fall (especially since Labor Day is the first Monday in September…aka tomorrow) however once it hits September 1st, we automatically feel fall in our bones. Yes, it’s still hot. Yes, you might have some beach days left in you. BUT, if you show us a pumpkin and a cozy throw, it just feels right. But to honor these waning warm summer days, we wanted to throw up another photo from Em’s Soake pool reveal post (we’ll the first summer reveal:)). If you haven’t checked out the post YOU SHOULD and then come back. If you have, thank you, and please proceed to the links!

This week’s house tour is of a rental home for the design lover. It’s called the Foam House and has 3 beds and 2 baths with a couple common spaces. This home is full of color, textures, wallpapers, you name it. It’s whimsical yet relaxing AND has a covered trampoline. Basically inspiration for daaays. Go check it out here!

From Emily: You might’ve already seen it on stories, but I wanted to share a closer look at the roman shades we ordered for our family room doors. Our doors were long and skinny and the western sunset light was BLASTING through right at the times that we wanted to watch tv (around 5-7pm). So we partnered with Two Pages and I am so extremely happy with how they turned out. We had to go custom with these because there were just no ready-made window treatments on the market that would fit the dimensions of these long, skinny windows. I spent a minute deciding on the right color and texture for the space (so many samples to choose from) and I love love love what we chose and how they look. The shades are an almost-perfect color match to the paint and the overall quality is super nice. They also came SO FAST (under 3 weeks) and were very easy to install (thanks, handyman Dave!) plus, for around $200 per shade, they’re so much more affordable than if I had gone “custom-custom”. Can’t recommend these enough (and yes they do drapes, hardware, and woven shades, too).

Also From Emily: We believe in seriously cozy blankets in our house and the kids drag them down almost every morning. While they have the Target ones, I was recently in Crate & Barrel, looking at my fun signage with my face on it (yay!) and I found this blanket and HOLY MOLY it’s the softest thing I’ve ever felt. So I bought it for me and it was quickly co-opted by the entire family (while we binge Alone – y’all that show is so good). It feels really high quality and heavy and the color is so pretty (and look so good on our blue sofa). Instant fall coziness.

Did you see our Labor Day sale post round up?? If you haven’t and are in need of anything, may we suggest checking it out! Caitlin is DEDICATED to finding the best deals, with EHD recs, and she somehow makes sales really fun. We promise:)

From Mallory: I just bought this sweater and it’s the only thing I want to wear right now – plus I just found out that it’s 40% off right now (thank you J. Crew for such solid sales!!!) It’s a great summer to fall transition sweater because you can put a light tank underneath it and unbutton it to wear it as a cardigan or button it up if you get a fall chill. I’m very obsessed!!!

From Jess: Whenever I am in New York, my best friend always asks if I want to go to her workout class at KKSWEAT with her. I probably workout more in New York than LA at this point! Can you tell I don’t do it very often?? Ha. But despite my current lack of routine, I have done tons and tons of workout classes in my day and theirs are some of the best. Why? Well, the co-owners and my friend’s dear friends, Kara and Kate, have been leading the way in the boutique fitness world for over a decade teaching all over New York City. So they most definitely know what they are doing. Their barre studio is in Flatiron so if you are in NY absolutely sign up for their classes. But if you aren’t in NY then they have both live and tons of on demand options. 10/10 full body workout.

Also From Jess: I was in my friend’s bathroom the other day and noticed her really cute towel storage rack. It easily holds three large towels but also has a top shelf for small folded hand towels so it’s perfect for small spaces. It comes in few different colors but she has the gold so I’m partial:)

From Caitlin: If your holiday decorating vibe is a little more “minimalist-meets-sweet,” may I please introduce the CUTEST FREAKIN’ HALLOWEEN OUTDOOR DECORATIONS I’VE EVER SEEN? I hereby present this light-up labrador (he’s dressed as a ghost!!!) and his devilish doodle companion. I mean, how adorable would these be perched by your front door, welcoming trick-or-treaters to your home? Growing up, I loooooved the weekend when my mom would pull out our quirky holiday yard stuff – we’ve had everything from festive flying pigs to gift-giving T-Rexes – so I have a real affinity for these charming Halloween versions, especially at this price point (you can grab both for just under $100!). They bring a lot of cheer to your curb appeal – there’s nothing like seeing a sweet little vignette illuminating the yard when you get home after a long day (especially as the days get shorter). Probably not the best rec for those who prefer scary or gory Halloween decor, but they’re perfect for me:)

From Gretchen: Fall seems to be fast approaching in Oregon. The last few days have teased the cloudy skies and cozy temperatures of the upcoming season and suddenly all I want to wear are comfy sweats. I’ve been obsessed with hooded onesies (think adult footie pajamas, but less cheesy and no footies). Caitlin made a great case for the lounge-y, jersey jumpsuit last week, but I’m ready to add sleeves into the mix! I have (and LOVE) this hooded onesie from Savage x Fenty and it is beyond cozy but sadly nearly sold out. Thankfully, Free People has a really similar one that’s arguably a little more presentable for public view (if you have to leave the house) andddd it’s already in my cart. Catch me living in this one as soon as it arrives, for all of fall.

From Arlyn: As I’m sure the entire nation heard, we had a bit of a tropical storm here in L.A. and when I did a quick inventory check of supplies in case the power went out, I realized we needed another flashlight (I could always use my phone, but when the electricity is out, you want to preserve your battery as long as you can). I hunted for something small that I could keep in my nightstand but I wanted to make sure it was powerful. This GearLight LED flashlight is about the size of a small zucchini but literally lights up an ENTIRE room. It has a zoom feature so you can go wide or narrow, and it takes standard AA batteries instead of a 9-volt/C/D that I almost never have on hand. 

That’s it for today! If you have a long weekend we hope it’s as fun and replenishing as possible. See y’all tomorrow. xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Our Soake Pool Review (And Reveal) – Can A Small Pool Really Be This Great?

The post The Link Up: The Softest Blanket Em’s Ever Bought, Mal’s New Lightweight Fall Sweater, And Some CUTE Halloween Decor appeared first on Emily Henderson.

My Journey To Find The Most Comfortable Pajama Set Ever – AND I FOUND THEM

I had four pairs of my favorite pajamas that I’ve been wearing for YEARS. But someone (starts with B, ends in Uttercup) ate the crotch out of most of them over the last year which I’m trying to take as a compliment. I recently went to replace them and they no longer sell the set that I love which was devastating (they were from the Gap, had a henley shaped top and jogger shaped bottom but were so comfortable that I LIVED in them). So it felt time to go on a journey to find my next PJ uniform. What you are about to see isn’t a bunch of super cute/stylish PJs – I don’t care too much about how they look. I want comfort, I want soft fabric, I don’t want elastic to cut in ANYWHERE, and I want breathability. I want to feel like I’m practically naked in my bed because my PJs are so soft, weightless and comfortable that I don’t even notice them.

Full disclosure I think I have a sensory issue – I just really don’t like to feel my clothes on me. I take necklaces off within 10 minutes of wearing them, and I won’t even wear athleisure that is too tight (which is why these are my forever favorite leggings – I wear a medium). I think my extreme discomfort to anything that is uncomfortable is abnormal, which puts me in the unique position of really being able to recommend THE MOST COMFORTABLE anything. When I say it’s comfortable, you can for sure count on it.

I went to Nordstroms. I’ve tried some fancy stuff but I didn’t like them enough. So here is what I found that IS comfortable enough, and why.

Beautifully Soft Short Sleeve Notch Collar Top and Shorts Pajama Set – Target

Years ago (when I first shopped for my favorite PJs) I loved these and the ones from The Gap (the OG winner that is no longer available) and both were excellent. These are my backup if my Gap ones were dirty. I’ve had the long sleeve/pant and short sleeve version of this for a long time and they are great, too. For the price point they are VERY GOOD, drape easily, and have a soft and forgiving elastic waist. I’m wearing a medium here. These started pilling a bit on year three, which is NOT bad (and admittedly during Covid I almost exclusively wore PJs and athleisure so perhaps more wear and tear than usual).

LENZING™ TENCEL™ Modal Pajama – Gap

These are my new favorites (tied closely with the J.Crew below). These are the same fabric that my OG pajamas were out of – this trademarked LENZING™ TENCEL™ Modal thing that the Gap does so well. It’s just so buttery soft, falls, stretches, drapes and breathes. Its so lightweight you feel like you aren’t wearing anything. I bought a small on top and medium bottoms and I’m going to get a medium on top going forward (these aren’t tight in the arms, but not as loose I prefer). They come in other colors, but I like the dark and plan on buying 2 more sets. WINNER WINNER. These present as expensive (and you have to buy separately) but they are always on some sort of sale so don’t buy unless you get the 30% off. I also love the pink and blue (but find that the black holds up to my self-tanner addiction quite well lol).

Satin Pajama Set – Old Navy

I hadn’t tried on Old Navy PJs in years. These are pretty cute, y’all – with boxy top and wide legged pants (with a slit up the leg). They were more of a satin/poly blend that I know a lot of people would like. I really like zero constriction in my PJs (I like stretchable and movable) so these are great for lounging around, less rolling around in bed (I hate when you roll and the fabric pulls or gets stuck). But they were good enough to show you.

Satin Lounge Tank Top and Shorts Set – Old Navy

Well well well. I was also very curious about their little satin sets and figured I’d give them a shot. I get nervous about cheap fabric to sleep in, especially when brands add a lot of bells and whistles (lace, bows, push up stuff) so I applaud how simple these are – they don’t look or feel cheap at all. While I wouldn’t say that these are “sexy” they might be what I bring on a weekend away versus my nightly set. I also just wish I had a more subtle color but I think these were the only ones in stock at the time.

Soft Lounge Sleep Set – Skims

I’ve been dying to give Skims a try and they did NOT disappoint. Oh my goodness the fabric was ribbed and so soft, with stretch and still really drape-y (it’s weightier so it drapes really nicely). We decided that these were by far the most flattering. I mean, Kim Kardashian cares about looking good/sexy. I just wish I had ordered a medium. These fit but the waistband was just a bit too noticeable when I was wearing them (meaning I could feel it, even though they didn’t cut in). If you want to splurge on a pair that is super flattering in a subtle way, these would be my pick. They are a bit thicker (but not thick) than the rest of them but still really lightweight (they cling in places, but since they are thick enough you can’t see bumps underneath and so soft that the kids were begging to snuggle with me).

Eco Dreamiest Short-Sleeve Pajama Set – J.Crew

I know, I know. They ALL LOOK ALIKE. This J.Crew version is also EXCELLENT, just a teeny tiny bit thicker than the Gap (which made them feel more high quality TBH). I love them almost equal amounts – the Gap wins slightly because their shorts have a cuter style and are a tiny bit sportier (literally no one will notice, they look identical) and the waistband was a bit thicker and sat on my hips in a nice way – loose, but not falling off. I’ve been mixing this top with the Gap bottoms and it’s my definite preference (but only because I need to size up on the Gap top).

End-On-End Cotton Pajama Short Set – J.Crew

Kaitlin and Gretchen agreed that these were the cutest and most “me”. The cut is a bit more modern and has some good detailing (piping accents, cute pocket). I wanted to try one poplin set, to really shake it up. I tested them out over a few nights and admittedly they are very comfortable to sleep in and didn’t constrict me like I thought they would. I still prefer the LENZING™ TENCEL™ Modal fabric from the Gap but if you want 100% cotton for extreme breathability, these are really good. Generally, I don’t love cheap poplin, but these felt high quality (but I haven’t washed and dried them yet). Definitely flattering, classic, and I felt cute in them.

Ok so here are my favorites in order:

First place: The Gap and J.Crew (Eco Dreamist) tie for big winner. The Gap is 10% thinner, but both are just extremely comfortable, flattering, drape nice, breathe well, and feel totally weightless in bed.

Second Place: Target. It’s just 4% less soft than the Gap/J. Crew (and still so soft!).

Third Place: Skims. I know I’ll reach for these more in winter when it’s chilly around the house.

Fourth Place: All the Old Navys. These are honestly really great, I just don’t love the satin as much as something that has more give and stretch.

I know that these are all pretty darn boring/basic, but I went into Nordstroms and tried on many others but none of them made the cut (at least what was in store). These win because the fabric, fit, and comfort level is very high which is all I care about. Ok GOODNIGHT!!!!!

*Photos by Kaitlin Green

The post My Journey To Find The Most Comfortable Pajama Set Ever – AND I FOUND THEM appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Our Annual (Highly Selective) Labor Day Sales List – The Best Expert-Approved Deals in Furniture, Decor, Fashion, and More

HI, FOLKS. Welcome to the 2023 edition of EHD’s Labor Day sale roundup. Let’s get one thing straight – stretching your dollar feels even more crucial right noq, so we wanted to bring you the list of the best, most relevant sales (you know, in case you’re in the market for something special. This is a pressure-free zone!). So if you’re trying to update your WFH situation, grab a classic fall sweater, or make your home a little cozier, this is the weekend where you’re going to find the best deals of the year.

Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of our favorite Labor Day sales with the biggest savings. (And if you’re in the market for inspo, be sure to check out a few of our recent posts, like this official fall furniture & decor picks or Em’s cooler-weather clothing review (so many cute pieces in there!). And now, without further ado, let’s get to the deals 🙂

Home & DecorAllModern

Sale: Up to 60% off furniture, decor, holiday, and more, plus an extra 20% off sale items with code GET20.
Best Deals: 31 Accent Chairs for Every Style | Orlando’s Sleeper Sofa | Quiet & Graphic Textured Neutral Rug

Annie Selke

Sale: 20% off site-wide plus free-shipping with code HAPPYHOME.
Best Deals: A Dreamy Indoor/Outdoor Rug with 9 (!) Color Options | My Harlequin Jute Rug | Chunky Woven Rug, Perfect for High-Traffic Areas

Anthropologie

Sale: Up to 50% off in-stock and custom furniture, decor, candles, and more.
Best Deals: The Sweetest Scalloped Task Lamp | Kitchen & Dining Favs – Love the Colored Glassware! | Woven Leather Ottomans
Note: OMG, this sale is SO GOOD. Take a peek at all the deals here! (If you’re planning to host any friends and family this season, this is the perfect place to grab some cheery finishing touches for your space.)

Article

Sale: Up to 40% off select items.
Best Deals: EHD’s Go-To Leather Sofa | Sara’s Comfy Lounge Chair | Bowser’s Chic Outdoor Sectional Set
Note: See makeovers featuring the sofa here, the lounge chair here, and the sectional here. These are some tried-and-true EHD picks! 🙂

Ballard Designs

Sale: 20-75% off site-wide, plus free standard shipping.
Best Deals: Elevated Fall Decor | The Cutest Entry Cabinets (Those Door Details!) | Deeply-Discounted Clearance Finds

Bed Bath & Beyond

Sale: Up to 70% off select items.
Best Deals: Swivel Accent Chairs | Small Kitchen Appliances (From $39!) | Beveled Edge Mirror
Note: Overstock is no more – they’ve acquired Bed Bath & Beyond and have adopted the BBBY branding. Combined, they’re a great Wayfair alternative – tons of affordable finds for home (and they’re carrying everything from tupperware to furniture, which rocks).

Brooklinen

Sale: 20% off site-wide.
Best Deals: Bedding Bundles (Up to 40% Off!) | Bath Towel or Bath Sheet Bundles | Luxe Bath & Lounge Robes

CB2

Sale: Up to 40% off furniture & decor, up to 50% off outdoor, and up to 70% off clearance.
Best Deals: Ceramic Lamp with Unlacquered Brass Shade | Streamlined Oak Wood Secretary Desk ($899, Down from $2,000) | Walnut Bookcase with Drawers
Note: We used that bookcase in one of my all-time favorite EHD makeovers. Can you believe it’s been three years?!

The Citizenry

Sale: 20% off statement styles, plus an extra 10% off furniture.
Best Deals: Low-Profile Storage Baskets | Thonet-Inspired Curved Wood Counter Stools | Extra-Long Leather Lumbar Pillow

Crate & Barrel

Sale: Up to 30% off furniture, up to 25% off kitchen accessories, and up to 60% off clearance.
Best Deals: Jess’ Chic, Multifunctional Desk | Deeply Discounted Dyson, Le Creuset, and KitchenAid Essentials | Oak Media Console with Tons of Storage
Note: Check out all of Em’s curated picks (plus some cute video footage of the boss herself!) by tapping right here.

Design Within Reach

Sale: 20% off furniture and accessories, including Knoll classics.
Best Deals: Iconic Story Bookcase | Half-Priced Glass Straws (Perfect for Gifting!) | Em’s Surprisingly Affordable Bedroom Pendant Light

Food52

Sale: 20% off orders over $250; 25% off orders over $500; plus free shipping on all orders over $199 with code SAVEBIG.
Best Deals: My Stair-Climbing Rolling Cart (Great for Groceries, Laundry, and Thrifting) | Outdoor & Gardening Essentials, In Time for Fall | Anything/Everything by Five Two

Frontgate

Sale: Up to 70% off site-wide, including clearance.
Best Deals: High-End, Heavy Duty, Pretty Doormats | ‘Create Your Own Set’ Outdoor Furniture | Bar & Counter Stools

Industry West

Sale: 25% off site-wide with code LABORDAY.
Best Deals: A Fresh Interpretation of A Classic Desk | Narrow Nightstands with Shelving | Mal’s (Quick Ship!) Living Room Sideboard

Jonathan Adler

Sale: 25% off sitewide, including markdowns, with code NEWLEAF.
Best Deals: Playful & Dramatic Oversized Sconces | ‘Better Together’ Bundles (Huge Savings!) | Irreverent Needlepoint Pillows

Joss & Main

Sale: Up to 60% off select styles, plus an extra 20% off with code TAKE20.
Best Deals: This Timeless $750 (!!!) English Roll-Arm Sofa | A Bold Modern & Organic Coffee Table | A Vintage-Inspired End Table with Bobbin Legs

Lulu & Georgia

Sale: 20% off site-wide, including markdowns.
Best Deals: Ginny’s Furniture Collection (Obviously!) | On-Trend Vessels, Candelabras & More | Playful Sarah Sherman Samuel Disc Pillow

McGee & Co.

Sale: Up to 25% off site-wide.
Best Deals: Fresh Upholstered Bed | Refined & Luxe Shagreen Boxes | Keep-Forever, Heirloom-Quality Bench

Minted

Sale: 15% off sitewide with code LABORDAY23.
Best Deals: Direct-from-Artist Home Decor | Personalized Stationery | Fine Art Prints

Neighbor

Sale: 20% off site-wide.
Best Deals: Jess’ Outdoor Loveseat | Em’s New Lounge Chairs | Protective Furniture Covers
Note: See Em’s video review right here!

One Kings Lane

Sale: Up to 60% off site-wide.
Best Deals: Traditional Planters, Birdbaths, and More | Em’s Living Room Sofa ($1,600 Off!) | 6-Drawer Raffia Dresser

Pottery Barn

Sale: Up to 50% off furniture, outdoor, rugs, and more.
Best Deals: Seasonal Decor Favorites | Handcrafted Metal Outdoor Lanterns | Charming Vintage-Inspired Wood Bistro Chairs

Rejuvenation

Sale: Up to 75% off lighting, furniture, hardware, and more.
Best Deals: Hardware, Knobs & Pull Upgrades | EHD’s Go-To Nesting Tables | Sleek and Vintage-Inspired Pendants, Sconces, Chandeliers, and Fans
Note: This is the best sale we’ve seen all year from Rejuvenation – it’s another great one to grab all those finishing touches that’ll get your space guest-ready for the holidays.

Rugs USA

Sale: An extra 20% off site-wide with code SUMMER.
Best Deals: Lauren Liess’ Collection | Timeless Navy Buffalo Plaid Rug | Arvin Olano’s Collection

Schoolhouse

Sale: 20% off orders over $250; 25% off orders over $500.
Best Deals: Bright, Punchy Throw Pillows | Cheery, Sleek Table Lamps (Perfect For Desks or Nightstands!) | Our Favorite Quilts and Coverlets

Serena & Lily

Sale: Up to 40% off site-wide.
Best Deals: Coastal Bar Carts & Console Tables | Charming, Functional Nightstands | Textural, Quiet Coffee Tables

Target

Sale: Up to 40% off furniture and home decor.
Best Deals: Studio McGee, Jungalow, and In-House Furniture Favs | Our Curated Decor Picks

Terrain

Sale: Up to 40% off furniture, fire pits, indoor pots, decor, garden structures, gear, and more.
Best Deals: The Sweetest Indoor Planters | Chimineas, Fireplaces, and More | Seasonal Wreaths & Faux Stems

Tuft & Needle

Sale: Up to $700 off the Mint Hybrid mattress, plus up to 40% off select furniture, bedding, and more.
Best Deals: Mint Hybrid Mattress | Round & Minimal Dog Bed | Weighted Blanket (Nearly $100 Off!)
Note: Em, Jess, Bowser, Julie, Malcolm, and I all have T&N mattresses (and I know I’m forgetting some other EHD folks, too). I know there are a lot of online mattress brands out there, but this really is the best one.

Wayfair

Sale: Up to 70% off select home pieces, up to 50% off pet essentials.
Best Deals: $150 Metal King Bed Frame | Desks & Chairs to Upgrade Your Back-To-School (or WFH) Setup | Elevated Dog Feeding Station
Note: I know it’s early to think about Christmas, but the Holiday section has some major deals on garland, trees, wreaths, lawn decor, and more – if you have the storage space to grab things now, you can save a lot!

West Elm

Sale: Up to 60% off
Best Deals: Metal Console Table (3 Colors, 2 Sizes!) | Curved Seagrass Storage Baskets | A Simple, Clean Sofa With a Modern Plinth Base

Fashion & BeautyAlex Mill

Sale: Up to 70% off sale styles.
Best Deals: Half-Priced Paper Poplin Skirt (Recently Featured on EHD!) | Playful Mixed Stripe Shirt | Neutral Recycled Denim Pants
Note: AHH. Alex Mill rarely puts stuff on sale, but when they do, it’s a HUGE deal. (Literally – savings-wise, it’s a huge deal. Pretty much everything here is at least 50% off, but it’s bound to sell out fast – check it out, ok?)

Anthropologie

Sale: An extra 40% off sale styles.
Best Deals: Deeply Discounted Dresses | Wide Leg Pants, Culottes, Jeans, and More | Dreamy Skirts for Transitional Weather

Everlane

Sale: Up to 60% off markdowns.
Best Deals: Leg-Lengthening Pants in a Fall Hue | Half-Priced Textured Cardigan | A Very EHD Blouse (Blue, Striped, Puff Sleeve – Perfect!)

Gap

Sale: 40% off site-wide; up to 50% off select jeans, sweatshirts, and t-shirts; up to 70% off clearance.
Best Deals: Em’s (Very Popular) Denim Button Up | Dresses for All Occasions | Classic, Pulled Together PJ Sets
Note:

Girlfriend Collective

Sale: 20% off sitewide; orders over $125 will receive a free recylced backpack.
Best Deals: Longline Tank Bra | Jess’ Favorite Compressive High-Rise Legging | Sporty Skort (With Pockets!)

J. Crew

Sale: 40% off site-wide, plus an extra 60% off sale items with code SHOPNOW.
Best Deals: The Sweetest White Button Down Dress | A Chic $6.80 (!!!) Striped Turtleneck | A Sunny, Cheery, Blousy Top

J. Crew Factory

Sale: 50-70% off site-wide.
Best Deals: Luxe Sweaters Under $69 | Blazers That Only *Look* Expensive | Skirts That Go from Work-to-Weekend
Note: If you’ve returned to office and you’re looking to add a few special staples to your work attire, this is a REALLY great sale.

Madewell

Sale: 30% off pre-fall styles, plus an extra 30% off sale with code COOLDOWN.
Best Deals: Perfect Vintage Flare Jeans | Em’s New Fav Kitten Heel Boots | A Simple, Easy-to-Tuck White Button Up
Note: We’re very into non-skinny jeans right now – see Em model three new Madewell cuts in a quick video right here!

Nike

Sale: Up to 50% off select styles.
Best Deals: Em’s Go-To Comfortable Sneakers | Jordan Hex Mule (For the Brave Folks) | Wear-Everyday Sneakers in a Muted Fall Palette
Note: See Em’s sneakers in action here!

Nordstrom

Sale: Up to 60% off women, men, kids, shoes, home, and beauty.
Best Deals: Olive Utility Jacket | Deeply-Discounted Ulla Johnson Pieces | Sophisticated Wool Blend Ralph Lauren Coat

Old Navy

Sale: Up to 60% off site-wide; up to 75% off clearance.
Best Deals: Waist-Defining V-Neck Dress | The Most Flattering & Affordable Top I Own | On-Trend Loafer Mules

Pact

Sale: Up to 20% off site-wide.
Best Deals: The Refined Version of a Simple Sweatshirt | My Favorite Travel Pants (They’re High Waisted!) | The Jumpsuit I Can’t Stop Talking About

Target

Sale: 20% off clothing, shoes, and accessories for fall.
Best Deals: A Tried-and-True PJ Set | My All-Time Favorite T-Shirts (Only $4.80!) | An On-Trend, Two-Tone Hair Claw Clip

I’ll be here, updating this post allllll weekend long with the biggest and best sale updates. Happy official end of summer – here’s to having a great fall. xx

The post Our Annual (Highly Selective) Labor Day Sales List – The Best Expert-Approved Deals in Furniture, Decor, Fashion, and More appeared first on Emily Henderson.